Before the Storm
by lightningstrikestheworld
Summary: All Gray Fullbuster wanted was to make up all the wrongs he'd done in his life. And what better way than to put his life on the line to make sure no one else he cares about is injured, or worse? Soldier AU. Eventual Gruvia.
1. Prologue

**Author's notes -** _hey everybody! I seriously need to stay away from AU's, because I get really into them and I have so many ideas to use with it. So, this is a Soldier AU, and I hope it turns out as great as I have planned. Leave reviews and let me know how I did!_

...

Of all the things that could've happened in Gray Fullbuster's life, this was definitely not one of them. All he wanted to do was cash in his paycheck. That's the only reason he was in the bank to begin with, to get some money to pay a couple bills and go to the bar to have a couple beers before he had to wake up for work the next day.

He didn't imagine that some psychopath in a ski mask would burst through the doors of the bank and wave a gun around like a maniac.

"Everybody get down on the fucking ground! Down on the ground right now!"

Women screamed and pulled their children closer to them, men dropped down to their knees with their hands in the air, bank tellers kept their hands in the air to show they weren't doing anything shady.

"You've gotta be shitting me." Gray muttered under his breath as he followed suit, hands level with his head as he got down on his knees.

The gunman kept his gun trained on a young girl, who couldn't have even been in high school yet, so nobody would make a move, less they be responsible for her bloodshed. She fought back tears, her hands shaking with the fear of being harmed.

"Nobody make a move or I will blow her brains out!" The man yelled, making certain no one would try anything.

He continued his trek, walking slowly with his back turned to women and children, making sure he watched the men closely. They were more likely to make a move than women, especially those with children clinging to their shirts.

The gunman was nearing Gray, and the black haired teen surely wasn't going to let this guy get anything he wanted. Even if said man had a gun.

After all, disarming your assailant was a lesson he'd learned back when he was younger.

As soon as the gunman was on Gray's right, he sprung into action. He launched to his feet, one hand latching onto the gun and pointing it to the floor, his other grasping the man's forearm. The gun went off, embedding a bullet into the pristine white tile, and everyone screamed, people shuffling farther away from the action in the center of the room.

With his hands already in place, Gray pulled the man's arm downward, bringing his knee up to meet it. There was a sickening crack and the gunman yelled, letting his grip on the firearm loosen, just like Gray wanted. He tore the gun away and held it in both hands, pointing it directly between the gunman's eyes.

"On your knees. Now." He ordered and the gunman followed his commands, clutching his now fractured wrist to his chest. "Don't move." Gray didn't take his eyes off the man, nor did he move the gun. "Somebody call the cops, have them get this piece of shit in a jail cell."

"That won't be necessary." A booming voice came from his left. The owner of the voice moved to stand behind the gunman. Gray saw the uniform of the man, recognizing him as a police officer. The officer grabbed the communicator attached to his uniform and pressed a button. "We got a 10-32 inside, back up not required. Assailant disarmed and under control."

"Roger that." A voice said over the communicator, coming out with the sound of static.

"Is everyone alright?" The officer called out, watching as everyone stumbled back to their feet. All nodded, though they looked shaken up.

"Officer Jet." The officer stated towards Gray, crossing his arms across his chest.

"Gray Fullbuster."

"Well, Mr. Fullbuster, would you care to assist me get this criminal to the squad car outside?"

"Not at all." Gray motioned the gun up. "On your feet."

The gunman pushed himself to his feet, snarling at the teen before him. Officer Jet grabbed the man's upper arm roughly. "Come on, buddy." He jerked the man around and began walking him towards the exit. Gray walked behind them, the barrel of the gun pressed into the man's spine.

The trio made it outside where another man in uniform leaned up against a squad car. Upon sighting his partner, he pushed off the door and opened the back door for them to put the criminal in.

"You are under arrest for attempted robbery. Everything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. If you cannot afford a lawyer one will be appointed to you." Officer Jet droned on, shoving the gunman in the backseat. He slammed the door on the criminal and turned to his partner.

"This young man disarmed the assailant in a matter of seconds. He was really a blessing to have in there. I was clear on the opposite side of the room, and there was no way I could've gotten to him without getting someone shot."

"Good job in there, son." Jet's partner clapped Gray on the shoulder. "We'll take care of this guy. Swing by the station later so we can get your statement, alright?"

Gray nodded and turned his back on the two officers and made his way back into the bank. Upon entering, everyone inside clapper and cheered, kids running up to him and jumping up and down.

"That was so cool!" One boy with short brown hair exclaimed, throwing his arms up in the air.

"You total showed that guy not to mess with you!" Another with longer hair smiled wickedly up at Gray.

"Excuse me, I assume you're the one who disarmed that man?"

Gray pulled his eyes away from the awestruck children and found himself face to face with a tall, slender man dressed in a black suit. "Yes, sir."

"Warren Rocko, I'm the owner of this bank. I can't thank you enough for what you've done for us today. I owe you a great debt. Is there anything I can do for you?"

Gray reached inside his jacket and withdrew his check. "I need this cashed, if you could do that."

...

With his check cashed after his eventful morning, Gray headed out of the bank with the money stored in a joint bank account, and enough money in his wallet to get a few things from the store. No sooner than he threw the doors open and took his first step onto the pavement, he was bombarded by people with microphones and cameras were being shoved in his face.

"Is it true that you're the one who saved the whole bank?"

"Did you really disarm the assailant with only your hands?"

"Did the attacker really have two guns and a bomb inside with him?"

Damn news reporters.

Gray scoffed and pushed his way through the crowds, dodging microphones and large cameras as he did. He was almost to his car when a he caught sight of two figures approaching him.

"Hello, young man. My name is Hibiki, and I own the nightclub down the street and you just saved my wife, Karen." A tall man with handsome features and a navy button down shirt stood before him, a very skinny very pretty woman with long green hair a tight red dress on clinging to his chest.

Gray shook the man's hand and gave the woman a small smile.

"He saved everyone inside, Hibiki, not just me. We owe you a huge favor, Mr. Fullbuster."

He shook his head. "Just wanted to hurry and get my check cashed. I can't stay out for too long."

It was true. He really did need to hurry home, and he'd already been gone longer than he'd expected to be, not to mention he still had to swing by the police station.

"Well, Gray, should you ever find yourself at the Silver Bullet, tell them that I sent you. They'll give you the special treatment."

Gray nodded his thanks before moving around the couple, almost running to his car. He threw the door open and slid inside the beat up Pontiac, slamming the door behind him and shoving the keys in the ignition and starting up the engine. His hand whipped the car into drive and he sped off down the road before anyone else could congratulate him.

Luckily the police station was just across the street from the grocery store. Gray parked beside a new Jeep and got out of the car, walking into the station. A young looking girl sat at a reception desk and she looked up at him as he entered.

"Good evening, may I help you?" She pushed her glasses farther up her nose.

"Officer Jet wanted me to stop by."

"Oh!" She exclaimed, jumping to her feet. The girl wore a pink cardigan over a white tank top and a pair of black pants. "He said you would be stopping by. Come on, I'll take you to his desk."

Gray stepped around her desk and began to follow after her.

"Thank you, by the way. My older brother works in that bank, and he's the only family I have left."

"You're welcome." He answered curtly.

She was stopped as she rounded a corner, pointing to the desk in the back left corner of the room. "That's his, go on over, he's expecting you. Have a nice day, Mr. Fullbuster."

"You too." He made his way to the back, rapping his fingers on the metal desk. "Hello, officer."

"Gray, it's good to see you. Please, sit." The officer motioned to the chair in front of his desk. Gray did as he was asked, plopping down into the plush chair, his eyes focused on Officer Jet.

The orange haired man pushed a pen and yellow notepad in front of Gray. "Just tell us what happened from the time the gunman came in the building until we placed him under arrest."

Gray picked up the pen and began writing, listening to the officer tell a story of one of his first times catching an armed robber. After a few moments, Gray became annoyed and tuned out the officer.

Just as he was finishing his writing, he listened in to the last of the old officer's story.

"... And so that's when I jumped off the ladder and tackled the guy. The gun flew across the ground and a young boy, couldn't have been more than seven or so, picked it up and gave it to my partner and we got the guy. Gave the kid a medal of bravery, too. Happiest little guy I ever saw."

"That's some story, officer." Gray pushed the pen and notepad back to him. "Now, I need to be getting back home before it's too late. My sister, she gets scared being alone when it's dark."

"Ah, very well then. Thank you, Mr. Fullbuster."

Gray nodded and rushed out the door and into his car. The sky was starting to darken, and he knew the consequences of getting home last.

...

After a pit stop at the store, Gray walked up the steps of his home, shoving the key into the lock while his other hand held a case of beer. The latch clicked and Gray bumped the door open with his shoulder, making his way through the dark hallway and into the kitchen.

Just in time to see his sister place a pot of spaghetti on the table.

"Good evening, Gray." She smiled up at him, taking the oven mitts off her hands and tossing them on the counter top. "How was work?"

"Slow as usual." He placed the case beside the refrigerator and opened the door, unloading the beer onto a shelf. "How's everything here, Ultear?"

"Good." She smiled, before her eyes went wide. "Did you know there was a little boy that almost got bit by an alligator today at the park?"

"Really?" Gray questioned, closing the fridge and looking at his sister.

Well, she wasn't really his sister, but they resembled each other. They both had the same dark hair, his shaggy and hers nearly reaching her waist. Their eye color wasn't the same, as hers were brown and his were deep blue in color.

"Yeah, it was on the news earlier." She grabbed the tiny remote to the television she had insisted on putting in the kitchen since she spent a lot of time there. "I wonder if it'll be on again, the video was scary to watch!"

Just as she flipped to the local news channel, Gray froze. Why did that person look so familiar?

"Gray?" Ultear was looking between him and the screen.

"This mysterious black haired teen managed to disarm the assailant and save everyone inside the bank. Nobody was injured, thankfully."

Gray snatched the remote from Ultear's hand and turned off the screen.

"Gray-"

"Not a word, Ultear." He snapped, silencing the girl.

"That was dangerous." She said in a small voice.

"I can take care of myself. You of all people should know that."

She nodded and jumped when the door slammed shut.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Ultear."

"Gray, please don't-"

"Gray."

He flinched in the doorway, slowly turning to face the owner of the voice.

"Lyon."

The older white haired boy stepped into the kitchen.

"Is there a reason why Meredy told me she thought she saw you on the news today?"

"That's ridiculous, Lyon." Gray stepped forward, closing the space between he and his older sibling. "You know I don't leave the house after I get off work."

"But, Lyon, Gray did a really good deed!" Ultear's voice came from Gray's right.

"So he was out, huh?"

"Lyon, I can-"

Gray's words were cut off as Lyon slammed the younger boy into the wall, his head making a loud smacking sound. Ultear let out a surprised yelp at the sound.

"You aren't supposed to leave after work! You are supposed to stay here, Gray!" Lyon was in his face, screaming. "We made a promise, dammit! You know what you're supposed to do!"

"Lyon, it's my fault." Ultear's voice said from beside them. "I didn't have enough ingredients for the cookies I wanted to bake tomorrow so I sent him out to get them for me. Don't be angry with him, please."

Lyon pushed Gray into the wall and stormed out of the kitchen. Ultear jumped as the door to his room slammed shut.

"I guess I cooked for nothing." Ultear sighed.

"I'll eat with you." Gray said, despite his anger.

Ultear's expression lit up as she pulled Gray to the table.

...

Juvia flinched as the gun went off. Guns were never her favorite way to end a fight, but that was what her master preferred.

"Very good, Aria." The voice was still one Juvia was getting used to, and in ways it still haunted her.

"Thank you, Master." Aria lowered the gun and saluted the man in front of him.

"Sol, Totomaru, how is everything looking?" Their master said into a walkie talkie.

Static was heard just before the voices. 'Clear in the west, over.'

'Clear in the east, over.'

"Very good. Report to the tank and wait for us."

'Yes, Master.' Both voice said before disappearing.

"I found it, Jose." A rough voice said and Juvia felt a small sense of relief wash over her. A large man walked in sight holding a silver briefcase, his long black hair swaying in its ponytail.

"I knew I could count on you, Gajeel." Jose smiled and took the briefcase as Gajeel handed it over and moved to stand beside Juvia. "I knew I could count on all five of my trusted soldiers on this mission."

Gajeel bumped Juvia's arm with his elbow, giving her a look with his piercing ruby stare. She met his gaze and nodded.

Juvia considered Gajeel her best friend, also her only friend. While she, Gajeel, and the other three were Jose's most powerful and trusted soldiers, that's all they truly were to him. Nothing but pawns in this war that they were so carelessly thrown in.

After all, they weren't called Jose's Gambit for no reason.

Gajeel and Juvia had become friends in their time together, seeing as they were brought in around the same time and went through training together. They even found that they made a great team, one that was feared everywhere.

"They'll all face the wrath of the Iron Dragon and the Rain Woman one day, Juvia." Gajeel had told her with a smirk on his face.

The Iron Dragon, being the code name Gajeel had due to the fact his body was covered in metal studs; his eyebrows, down his nose and chin, even his forearms, as well as his preferred weapon, a crowbar.

The Rain Woman was the code name given to her by Gajeel, because everywhere she went, the rain followed. As well as a rain of gunfire and fists.

"This is exactly what we came here for! Great work, Gajeel." Jose clapped the man on the shoulder and turned to face the third member in the room. "Aria, will you please grab the professor so we can be on our way?"

"Yes Master." The large man bent down and scooped up an unconscious man and began to follow Jose out of the door.

"Did you encounter any trouble, Gajeel-kun?"

"Nothing I couldn't handle." He smirked cockily. "Some dumbasses thought they could take me down with an ambush. Proved them wrong pretty damn quick."

Juvia smiled at her friend and continued on their trek to the tank.


	2. How it all Began

_Author's notes - hey everyone! I'm really excited to keep this story going and I have some really good ideas for it, and I hope I can include them all. I go back to school this month, luckily for me it's my last year of high school. Best year of school my ass._

 _Anyway, here's the next chapter. Leave reviews please!_

The aroma of freshly cooked bacon filled Gray's senses early in the morning, as it usually did. Lyon was getting ready to leave for work, which meant Gray had time to kill in order to avoid his adoptive sibling.

His stomach growled in protest, but Gray pushed his hunger to the back of his mind and threw the covers off his body. He lay there for a moment before crawling out of bed and walking to his dresser, grabbing clean clothes and walking out of his room, straight across the hall, into the bathroom.

Gray stripped his remaining clothing articles and got in the shower, letting the cold water wash over his body. He tried to not remember the events of yesterday, other than the facts that the fridge was now stocked with beer and he'd gotten his paycheck.

Tensions in the house were high like they normally were when Gray and Lyon were in the same room. The two always seemed to have something to fight over, whether it be something stupid-like who got the last slice of Ultear's apple pie-or something serious-leaving Ultear alone for more time than necessary.

Both Gray and Lyon swore that they would stay with Ultear. That she was safe, that she was happy, and had everything she would ever need. So, the duo had found jobs and had enough money to keep their former guardian's house-Ultear's childhood home. They worked as many shifts as they could, selling things that weren't a necessity, and only spent money on the house, food, and bills, occasionally the vehicles when it was needed.

They always had enough to get by.

He'd thought about leaving multiple times. He had a steady job, he could easily keep enough money to pay rent at an apartment and have enough to buy food, but the only thing would be how he would cook for himself. Gray wasn't a very good cook, and he definitely didn't want to burn anything to the ground anytime soon.

 _Promise me you'll keep her safe!_ Gray could remember hearing the straining in her voice, how she was fighting back a scream of pain.

What was he thinking?

Gray shut off the water and pushed the curtain aside, grabbing the towel to dry himself off. Once he was dry enough, he pulled on his clothes-his work uniform. He wore a light blue button up shirt tucked into black pants, his pendant hidden by the light colored fabric covering his chest.

Upon being dressed and brushing his teeth, Gray walked into the kitchen, where Ultear stood at the sink with her back to him.

"Morning Ultear." He greeted as he plopped down at the table, dumping a large helping of bacon onto his plate.

"Good morning Gray." She spun around and beamed at him. "Did you sleep well last night?"

"Yeah," he lied through a mouthful of toast, scooping scrambled eggs onto his plate.

"That's good. How long will you be gone today?"

Gray glanced at the clock on the wall, finding it only being twenty till six. "I should be back by five."

"I'll have dinner ready for you then." She smiled and patted a navy colored lunch box. "I made sure to pack your lunch with your favorites."

"You're a lifesaver, Ultear."

She laughed and sat to Gray's right. Soon, her laughed faded, as did the smile on her lips. "Gray, I'm sorry about last night. I thought that if Lyon knew you saved people, he'd-"

"It's fine, Ultear. But now you owe me those cookies I was supposedly out getting ingredients for." He smirked at her and she began laughing.

"Okay, I can do that." The doorbell rang and she popped up. "I'll get it, eat your breakfast."

Gray took another bite of toast and reached for his glass of water when he heard Ultear speak.

"G-Gray!" She called out, her voice shaky.

He sprang up from the table, all but running to Ultear's side.

"Ultear." He whispered, pushing the smaller girl behind him, shielding her from the door. "Go to your room."

"But Gray-"

"Go."

Ultear moved behind him and disappeared into the kitchen. Slowly, Gray moved forward, his hand lingering on the pocket knife he had on him. He peered through the hole in the door and saw a man standing on their porch with his arms behind his back. There was something unusual about this man.

He wore the camouflage that an army man would wear.

"What the hell?" He muttered before opening the door. "Can I help you with something?"

"Good morning, sir. Might you be the young man who saved the bank yesterday? Fullbuster, I think was his name?"

"Yeah. Who are you?"

"Sergeant Macao Conbolt. It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Fullbuster." He extended his hand to Gray.

"Call me Gray, Sergeant." He clasped the man's hand and gave it a firm shake. "What can I do for you?"

"Ah, it's more what you can do for me and my comrades. May I come in, Gray?" The man's eyes were an unusually dark color, but yet they seemed welcoming to Gray. His hair was a strange shade of blue black, and he had stubble growing over his chin and cheeks.

Gray pushed the door open wider, letting the Sergeant in. He led the man into the kitchen, where Ultear stood with a frying pan in her hands, ready to strike someone if needed.

"Ultear, this is Sergeant Macao, would you get him a cup of coffee?"

Immediately Ultear brought the frying pan down to her side. "Of course. How do you take it, Sergeant?"

"Black is fine." Macao turned his attention to Gray. "Do you know why I'm here today?"

"No sir." He lied, hoping Ultear would leave as soon as she handed over the coffee.

"Well, I was sent here by General Dreyar to find you." Macao began, eyeing the food on the table. "Do you mind if I steal a bite?"

"Help yourself." Ultear called over her shoulder as she reached on her tip toes to grab a coffee mug on a high shelf.

Macao dumped eggs on the plate in front of him-the plate that would've been Ultear's-and reached for the bacon.

"Shoot." Ultear muttered, walking to the pantry and grabbing a small step stool, placing it in front of the cabinet

"Why were you sent after me?"

"Well, you see, we're being deployed to a place by the name of Magnolia soon, so we came back here to look for more troops. Word had gotten to us about the ordeal at the bank yesterday, and well, Gray, that took a lot of bravery and courage, what you did. We told the General, my partner and I, and well, we all agreed."

'Don't say it.'

"Gray Fullbuster, we would like to recruit you in the army."

The sound of porcelain shattering followed Macao's words, drawing both men's attention to the girl who was beginning to shake behind them.

"I'm sorry, but I can't." Gray said, walking to the pantry and grabbing a broom and dustpan. He set the items against the countertop and took Ultear by the shoulders, taking her to the seat he occupied moments before.

"But just think of how much potential you have! You would be a great comrade, Gray. You could reach my ranking in a matter of a couple years I would say."

Gray knelt in front of Ultear, trying to calm his adoptive sister down. "I can't leave my sister. If I go, she has no one, and I made a promise to keep her safe."

"Think of all the people you would save if you served alongside us."

"I promised her mother I would keep her safe. The woman who gave her life to protect her, myself, and our adoptive brother. I watched her die, and she was like my mother. She took me in, alongside my brother, who watched our parents die in an attack on our village. I promised I would keep Ultear safe, so I'm sorry, Sergeant, but I can't go with you."

Macao took a drink of coffee and stood. "I understand, Mr. Fullbuster. I'm sorry for pushing on you. I'll see myself out. But, before I go," Macao reached in his pocket and took out a small piece of paper and placed it on the table. "We leave in two days. If you need anything, or change your mind, give us a call and ask for me, alright?"

Gray nodded and watched the man leave. As soon as the door was shut, Gray took Ultear's face in his hands. "Ultear, breathe."

She took a deep shuddering breath and locked eyes with Gray. "Y-you can't leave m-me. You can't d-do that, you know you-"

"I'm not leaving. Look, I'll call off work today and you and me will just stay here all day, okay?"

"O-okay."

"Come on, let's go to the living room." Gray pulled her up and led her into the living room, easing her down onto the white couch. "I gotta call work, so I'll be right back, okay? I'll just be a minute."

He hurried into the kitchen, dialing his work number and stating he had a family emergency and wouldn't be able to make it to work. Gray then untucked his shirt and walked back into the living room, plopping down next to Ultear.

She'd gotten the remote control to the wide screen television-she insisted on getting for family movie night, that they've never had-and was scrolling through the movie channels. She clicked one and Gray groaned.

" _50 First Dates_ again? You've watched this so many times, Ultear."

"It's one of my favorites!"

"I'm beginning to think you have short term memory loss by how many times you've watched it." He joked, until Ultear's palm slapped his chest.

"Dammit woman, take a joke!"

Ultear began laughing, the tense moment in the kitchen forgotten. Gray laughed too, settling into the couch to watch the movie for what seemed to be the millionth time.

...

 _The rain follows Juvia everywhere..._

A glass slamming on the table beside Juvia jolted her from her thoughts. Her attention was now on her long haired best friend, who was downing his own mug of beer.

"Drink up, Rain Woman, we're celebrating."

"Gajeel-kun." Juvia greeted, looking at the man beside her, seeing that he'd changed into his regular attire; a black tunic cut to reveal his muscular arms and baggy beige pants tucked into his army boots. His signature gloves still adorned his hands, iron spikes protruding from the knuckles.

"We found what Jose was looking for, we got the guy to make the thing, so we're celebrating. Drink up." Gajeel shot Juvia that classic smirk, the one that meant he was proud of her and his own abilities.

Juvia smiled and reached for the glass, taking a drink before setting it back down.

"Aria said you did good in the attack." Gajeel said, signaling the barmaid to get him another round.

"Juvia took down many men, even a couple going after Aria."

"I told him you were kick ass in a fight." Gajeel smiled widely as another mug was placed in front of him. "Maybe I should start taking you with me when Jose sends me off somewhere different from the rest of you. Then I wouldn't have to watch my own back."

"Juvia would like that." She took another drink. "Then she could make sure Gajeel-kun was always okay."

"Plus, you and I make a badass team, Juvia. Remember what I said when we first got here?"

"'They'll all face the wrath of the Iron Dragon and the Rain Woman one day,'. Juvia couldn't agree more."

The two smiled at each other before turning back to their drinks. Juvia caught sight of one of their comrades, an inferior, as Jose called them. She had dark blond hair and a large chest, the tiny gray tank top she wore barely keeping them from being exposed. The girl was staring at Gajeel, obviously infatuated with the brute.

"Gajeel-kun, have you ever thought about finding love while we are here?"

His drink was promptly spat out over the countertop, Gajeel's unnatural red eyes wide as he stared at Juvia. "What the hell kinda question is that?"

"Two o'clock. She's been staring at Gajeel-kun for a while."

Gajeel's eyes left Juvia's for a moment before latching back to her. "Ain't interested."

Juvia sighed and looked out of the window to her left. "Sometimes Juvia wishes she would find love..."

...

During the movie, Ultear decided it was a perfect time to paint her toenails. And Gray discovered he hated the smell of it.

Also, he hated the words that left Ultear's mouth immediately following.

"You've got to be joking." Gray said, a less than amused look on his face.

"This is no joke." Ultear crossed her arms over her chest and smiled softly.

"You mean you _actually_ need ingredients for those damn cookies?"

"Yes, I actually need ingredients for those damn cookies." She mocked him, a smile on her face. "And now you have me craving them, so you're going. No questions asked."

"Fine." Gray jumped to his feet and snatched his keys off the peg next to the fridge. "I'll be back in a few minutes. And I swear to god if you're watching that movie again-"

"Quit mouthing and leave already!" Ultear laughed at his whining. "The quicker you get back the quicker you'll get cookies!"

Gray all but ran to his car.

...

It wasn't until Gray made it to the store that he realized he had _no idea_ what Ultear needed. Just as he was about to call and ask, his phone rang in his pocket.

"Hey Ultear, you never told me what-"

"Gray, help me!" Her voice was thick with panic and Gray froze, causing someone to run into his back.

"What's wrong?"

"Someone's trying to break in! What do I do?!"

Gray's heart stopped beating. "Get to my room and hide. I'm on my way home."

"Gray hurry, they're-" Ultear's scream was the last thing he heard before the line went dead.

"Fuck!" Gray yelled as he sprinted out of the store and jumped in his car, whipping it into reverse and nearly taking out an incoming car. He swerved to narrowly missing another vehicle as he flew down the road to his house.

 _I shouldn't have left the damn house!_ He mentally cursed himself.

After what seemed like an eternity he pulled into his driveway and threw the door open, and ran towards the front door, which was off its hinges. "Fuck."

Gray reached behind the refrigerator and pulled out a gun; the one Lyon insisted on stashing in case of an emergency.

"Ultear!" Gray called out as he ran towards his room. As he passed every other door, he realized they'd all been carelessly thrown open, leaving dents in the walls or doorknobs jammed into the walls behind them.

His door, however, had been broken through, or rather, shot through. He walked into the room, seeing multiple shell casings littering the ground, as if many guns had been firing. Blood spatter was on the wall, his desk, the carpet. And there, at the edge of his bed, he saw a foot.

A small, pale foot with a dark purple paint in the nails.

"Ultear!" Gray yelled, running around the bed and finding Ultear face down in a puddle of blood. He flipped over his adoptive sister, finding multiple gunshot wounds in her chest and abdomen.

He felt for a pulse, but it was useless. She was gone. Too far gone to be revived.

Everything inside of Gray went numb as he stared at the lifeless body on his bedroom floor. He'd broken his promise to Ur, Ultear's birth mother, his and Lyon's adoptive mother.

He failed to keep her safe. Because he left her alone, she was unable to fend off the people who broke in, who killed her. The same people who killed her mother years ago.

Gray found himself unable to stare at her any longer. He stumbled to his feet and down the hallway, plopping down at the kitchen table, where the remnants of breakfast still sat. He held his head in his hands as tears streamed down his cheeks.

What has he done?

He caught glimpse of a scrap of paper, not remembering how it got there. He picked it up, finding a phone number, and a familiar name.

Gray pulled his phone out of his pocket and punched in the number with shaky hands. It rang once, twice, thrice, until a click.

"How the hell did you get this number?" The voice was rough and unfamiliar.

Gray cleared his throat, hoping his voice didn't give away the fact he was crying.

"I need to talk to Sergeant Macao Conbolt."


	3. The Road to a New Home

_Author's notes - hey everyone! I've been stuck for a while and also I started school and really couldn't find the time to write between school and sports. However, I finally got some ideas and I sat down and wrote out everything. This probably makes no sense. But we're going with it._

 _Leave reviews please!_

The only sound was the rain pelting the cloth like material covering the bed of the truck that was currently taking Gray away from the only home he'd known for over six years. He sat tucked away in the corner, as far away as possible from the other two passengers in the back. His eyes slid shut as he leaned his head against the cold metal of the truck, trying not to think of the last couple days.

He'd tried to talk Macao into leaving a day early, solely to get him away from this town and leave it all in his past. Macao had explained that the truck wouldn't be there to pick them up until it was scheduled to, but Gray nearly begged him for an early departure.

It was true that Macao had felt sympathy towards Gray. When one of his close friends handed him the phone stating there was someone on the line for him, he hadn't expected it to be the young man he'd tried to talk into joining them. Maybe his own son, calling from home, asking when his father was coming back, but not an almost hysterical Gray calling to beg for help.

 _"She's gone." Gray's voice was hoarse, like he'd been screaming at the top of his lungs._

 _"Who's gone? Gray, is everything okay?_

 _"I left the house, I was gone for not even five minutes and they found her. They found her and now she's dead. I was supposed to protect her, and now she's dead because of me."_

 _"Listen, son, you need to calm down." Macao's voice was full of concern, drawing the attention of Wakaba. "Do I need to come and get you? Do you need help?"_

 _"Oh god, Lyon. What am I going to tell him? He's gonna kill me when he finds out. Oh fuck what am I gonna do?"_

 _"Macao, is something wrong?" Wakaba stood in front of him, arms crossed over his chest._

 _"Kid, you need to calm down. I'll be over in five minutes, alright? Keep your head on and wait until I get there."_

 _Macao motioned for Wakaba to follow and grabbed a young man with salmon colored hair by the collar, dragging him out behind the two older men. "Come on, Natsu. I might need your help with this one." Macao shoved the teen in the back of a jeep and jumping in the driver's seat. No sooner than Natsu straightened in his seat Macao shifted the vehicle in drive and sped off down the road._

 _It had taken a little over five minutes to find his way back to the house, and he was visibly shocked by the state of the house. When he'd arrived just this morning, it was a beautiful white house with flower beds on each side of the stairs and in the perfect condition. Now, the house was filled with multiple bullet holes and broken windows, as well as the door being missing._

 _"That ain't looking good, Macao." Natsu's voice brought Macao out of his shock._

 _"Be prepared for anything." The three soldiers climbed out of the jeep, weapons drawn and at the ready as they approached the house. The door had been torn off its hinges and was laid flat on the blue carpet, bullet holes littering the wood._

 _"Gray?" Macao called out, waiting to hear a response. Wakaba filed into the room on the left, checking for intruders._

 _With Natsu trailing behind, Macao made his way into the kitchen, where the unfinished breakfast sat cold on the table. Just this morning, he'd enjoyed a cup of coffee and a homemade breakfast with Gray and his sister._

 _"Macao, take a look at this." Natsu was looking at the table, the exact spot where Macao had sat earlier that day. The sergeant made his way over to the salmon haired teen, glancing down on the table. Red stained the table, as well as small splatters of water._

 _"This doesn't look good."_

 _"Clear this direction, Macao." Wakaba stood in the threshold of what appeared to be the living room._

 _"Keep your eyes open. There may have been a murder."_

 _Doors had been thrown open carelessly, leaving sizable dents in the walls or doorknobs embedded into the walls behind them._

 _"Nothing here but a bed and a desk." Natsu called from Macao's right._

 _"All clear here." Wakaba responded from the door across from the room Macao was in._

 _"I think I found the murder victim." Natsu's voice echoed through the hall. Macao walked out of the empty room and found Natsu standing in the hall in from of one room. The younger man stepped inside, allowing Macao entrance into the room._

 _The room appeared to belong to a man, as the walls were painted a dark blue and everhthing else inside the room was metal and black or gray in color. The bed was a mess, the duvet a crumpled ball on the sheets. Peeking out from the end of the bed was a pale feminine foot, the toenails painted a deep purple._

 _Macao holstered his weapon and walked around the bed, taking in the bloodstains on the desk and the carpet, as well as shell casings littering the ground. He stopped beside the girl's foot, looking down at her lifeless form._

 _"This is Gray's sister. Ultear, I believe her name was. She's been shot multiple times in the chest and abdomen."_

 _"Where is the kid?" Wakaba had joined his fellow soldiers in the room, standing beside Macao observing the body._

 _"Hey, there's a closed door here!" Natsu called from farther down the hallway._

 _"Call the police. I'll go check out the rest of the house with Natsu." Macao handed Wakaba his cellular phone and unholstered his gun, trekking into the hall. Natsu had his back pressed against the wall, eyes glued to the door beside him. Macao nodded and Natsu tucked his gun away, hand encircling the doorknob._

 _Natsu turned his hand and shoved, throwing the door open. Macao entered the room, scanning it for an attacker, but finding the room free of danger. The room was spotless and dust free, the bed was perfectly made, the white curtains swaying with the wind blowing it around through the open window._

 _Small shelves screwed into the pale blue walls held books or vases of flowers, though one held a picture frame. An empty picture frame._

 _A small noise akin to a sob startled both soldiers, causing both weapons to be drawn once again. Macao pointed at the open bathroom door to the right and Natsu gave a curt nod, heading in that direction. The older man edged closer to the bed, rounding the other side._

 _He found a young man, knees drawn to his chest, holding a picture in his shaking hands. "Natsu, I found him." Macao placed his gun in the bed, barrel facing the bedroom door and knelt down beside Gray. "Are you hurt?"_

 _Gray shook his head, his grip on the picture tightening. "I failed her."_

 _"Who? Your sister?"_

 _"Not just her. Lyon. Ur."_

 _"Ur?"_

 _Gray held the picture out to Macao. "She took in Lyon and I. Our village was attacked and neither of our parents lived. Ur found us and brought us home with her. We promised we'd help her keep her daughter safe." Gray fisted his hands in his hair. "I failed her. I failed my family for a second time. I couldn't save either of them."_

 _"You know what they say about three time's a charm, right?" Natsu's voice was full of hope, of optimism._

 _"Do you want me to call your brother?"_

 _Gray shook his head. "He'll kill me the second he finds out what I've done." Gray reached beside him, handing Macao a pistol. "You might as well save him the trouble."_

 _"I'm not gonna shoot ya, kid. Come with us, and we'll show you how to protect your family."_

 _"What family? My parents are dead. My sister and guardian are dead."_

 _"You'll be a part of our family, Gray." Macao placed his hand on the gun in Gray's shaking fist, lowering it to the ground. "We won't let anything happen to you."_

 _A sob broke through Gray and his hands were fisted in his hair once again._

 _"My companion called the police to report the attack. They'll want you to answer some questions, as you're the one who found her. Then we'll take you with us, if it's okay with you."_

 _"Take me away from here."_

"You aren't listening to a damned thing I'm saying, are you?" Wakaba's voice brought Macao back from his thoughts.

"Sorry. It's just been a strange couple of days, hasn't it?" Macao looked around the sleeping Levy to see his life long friend shaking his head.

"I suppose so." Wakaba shrugged. "Think General will be upset we only brought back the kid?"

"He's always happy with whatever amount we bring back." Macao sighed and looked through the back glass and sighed. "They're at it again."

Wakaba laughed. "Do I need to pull over?"

"I don't think. It's nothing to serious yet."

Macao had no idea what went down between the two, but Natsu and Gray always picked a fight with each other. It was nothing to turn around and see them brawling it out, even after knowing each other for two days. He recalled when he first found them fighting, and how hard he'd laughed after the fact.

 _Macao sat at the table trying to enjoy his drink when he'd heard a loud crash. "What did you call me?" Who was Natsu trying to pick a fight with now?_

 _"Do I really need to say it again?" That voice wasn't as familiar as the rest._

 _"Is that the best insult you can come up with?"_

 _"Nope. Just the first one that I thought of when I saw you." Whoever the voice belonged to, they seemed to be pretty calm._

 _"That's it. You done pissed me off. You're gonna get it now, droopy eyes."_

 _"Bring it, squinty eyes."_

 _Natsu let out a battle cry and there was another loud crash. With a sigh, Macao turned around to yell at Natsu, only to have his jaw drop._

 _The person who mouthed off Natsu was Gray._

 _And he currently has Natsu on the ground punching him in the face._

 _Macao began laughing, followed by Wakaba, and the rest of the people inside the building._

 _"No one ever gets the better of Natsu like that unless it's Laxus, Erza or Gildarts!"_

 _"He's never gonna love this one down!"_

 _"Sergeant Macao, shouldn't we break them up?" Levy's tiny voice said from his right._

 _"Nah," Macao patted the tiny blue haired girl's hand, "no one ever gets the drop on Natsu like this. Plus, he's new. They'll tire of it eventually."_

 _"I'm not so sure..." Levy's voice trailed off, glancing at the fighting duo. Natsu managed to slip out from under Gray and land a solid blow to Gray's left eye, sending the teen stumbling back. Natsu went for another punch, but grunted as his fist punched nothing but the rock hard wall. Gray delivered an elbow to Natsu's right eye, sending him tumbling to the ground._

 _"Enough!" A feminine voice tore through the air, drawing the attention of the entire building for a second time. Armor clinked together and soon there was a shrill cry and a startled gasp following._

 _In the middle of the room, where Gray and Natsu had been fighting, were both young men, held by their shirt fronts. Between them, a girl in armor, her long red hair reaching the middle of her back._

 _"That's enough fighting between the two of you. You're to be friends, not enemies, got it?"_

 _"Y-yes, Erza!" Natsu stuttered out, his hands grasping onto Erza's wrist._

 _"Apologize, Natsu."_

 _"I ain't apologizing to the likes of him! Are you jo-" SMACK. "I'm sorry Gray! I didn't mean it and I'm sorry I gave you an ass kicking!"_

"It's a good thing they're just butting heads now, if it was a fight I'm sure Erza would break it up in an instant." Macao chuckled.

"I'm still wondering now she hasn't split them up yet if they're still butting heads."

"Me too."

Wakaba let go of a content sigh. "I know we haven't been away but for a few days, but I'm glad to be getting back to home."

"I agree, Wakaba. It's not the same being away from our home with only a few of our family." Macao patted little Levy's head as it fell against his shoulder.

"We should be home within a few hours."

SMACK. SMACK. "Aaaaaaaaaah we're sorry!"

Both men chuckled. "Sounds good for us, but even better for Natsu and Gray."

"It seems that Natsu and Erza have taken a liking to Gray." Macao shifted in his seat.

"A what? A liking?" Wakaba laughed. "Sure, a liking to fighting with giving him bruises."

"If you think about it, that's how Erza and Natsu became close. I remember him always trying to fight her, and now look at them. Anyone who tries anything with her or tries to hurt her, he's right there knocking them to the ground."

"That is true. Erza always being there for Natsu sure has helped him a lot. Maybe they can be there for Gray the way they've been there for each other."

"When we lost Lisanna, Erza was right there with Natsu, making sure he wasn't being too careless."

"How long has it been since we lost her now? Two years?" Wakaba rubbed his eyes on the backs of his hands.

"Yeah. The anniversary was just before we left. That's why Natsu came with us. He didn't want to be there."

"And I'm assuming that's why Erza came too. To make sure he was okay. Which surprises me, because I figured she'd stay to be with Mirajane."

Macao sighed and rested his head against the window. "Erza knew she had Elfman and everyone back home. Natsu didn't have anyone."

"I hope the kid's doing alright."

"Which one? Natsu or Gray?"

"Both." Wakaba turned on the radio and tuned out the rain.

"If you two don't sit down so help me, I'll punch you both again so you can have two matching black eyes instead of one." Erza didn't even have to open her eyes to know the two were head to head about to start another brawl.

The duo cried out and separated, stuttering out apologies as they sat down in their rightful seats.

"So, Gray, I don't know a lot about you, other than you like fighting with Natsu."

"There's not much to tell." Gray stated stoically.

"Then tell what you can." Erza shifted forward, resting her elbows on her knees. "I know you know my name already, but I want to properly introduce myself. Erza Scarlet."

"Gray Fullbuster."

"I'm Natsu Dragneel." Natsu chipped in, a wide smile plastered across his face. "The guy who can and will always beat your ass."

Gray rolled his eyes and leaned back against the seat. "I could beat you any day."

Natsu jumped to his feet, only to be pulled back down and slammed into his own seat.

"So, Gray, how did Macao convince you to join us?"

"He refused to kill me when I asked. Figured joining him and going into battle to get myself killed was the next best option."

Erza visibly paled, and then she moved so quickly it was barely registered until she had Gray by the collar and pushed her face close to her own. "Don't say such a thing ever again. Do you understand me?"

"That's the only reason I'm-"

A fist connected with his jaw. "Do you understand me?" Erza all but yelled at him.

"I understanding! Now let go of me!" Gray grabbed her by the wrists and pried her hands off his shirt, but he didn't miss the way she stared at him like she was afraid.

Erza walked away from Natsu and Gray both and sat near the back of the truck bed.

Another set of hands grasped his shirt and lifted him from his seat, holding him against the cold metal of the truck. "Don't you ever say anything like that in front of Erza or I will personally make sure you suffer."

There was a fierceness in Natsu's eyes and it made guilt bubble up in his chest. Natsu shoved him back and settled in his seat, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath.

Gray leaned back once more and closed his own eyes, hoping to sleep a little more before they arrived at base.

Gray was awoken by a loud groan.

"Ungh, I feel sick."

"Forgot to take your medicine, didn't you?" Erza's voice sounded different than it had earlier.

"Stop this thing from moving. Get me off here now." Natsu groaned.

A pill bottle rattled and a plastic bottle crinkled, followed by the sounds of both items having their lids put back on. "Try to go back to sleep, Natsu. We'll be home in a little over an hour."

"Why did I agree to coming on this death trap?"

The noises settled and Erza sighed. Her armor clanked as she made her way back to where she had been, pulling her knees to her chest and wrapping her arms around them, unbeknownst that she was being watched. It was apparent on her features that she was struggling with something.

It wasn't until the third sob escaped her that Gray got up and walked over to her, plopping down beside her. She wiped at her eyes furiously.

"My parents were killed when I was young. My whole village was attacked by Deloria and his army. This woman named Ur found me and other boy, Lyon, and took us in. All my life she taught me how to fight, how to defend. Once I thought I'd learned enough, I found Deloria's location and went to confront him."

"Do you mean Ur Milkovich?"

Gray nodded.

"Ur and Lyon followed after me. I thought I could stop Deloria, avenge my parents. He would've killed me, had Lyon not stepped in. That bastard. He got clocked over the head and was unconscious whenever Ur showed up. She'd been fighting off soldiers and was covered in stab wounds.

"Deloria gave her a choice; kill me or Lyon and she would live. She chose neither, and attacked Deloria. She yelled at me to take Lyon and go home, to protect Ultear, her daughter. I tried to fight with her, but she kept shoving me away and telling me to run.

"Eventually Deloria played dirty, and stabbed her right through the chest. She yelled at me one final time, and I finally listened to her. I dragged Lyon for about a mile before some police officer found us. I told him about Ur and he just shoved us both in the back of his car and took us back home. The officer got in contact with the army and arrest Deloria, but Ur didn't make it out alive."

"I'm so sorry." Erza sniffled.

"Lyon and I worked to buy back Ultear's home and we did it eventually. We swore to protect Ultear, knowing his men would come for us all. They killed her two days ago. And that's why I'm here. Natsu and Macao told me to come with them, that a third time's a charm for a family."

"I was enslaved as a child. I made my best friends while I was there. I wasn't made into a fighter until one of them, Jellal, told me that I had been stripped of my freedom, that we all had. We led an attack together, and one of the guards shot at me, but Grandpa Rob saved me. They tried to torture me for leading the attack, but Jellal took my place.

"Somehow he managed to kill the slave owner and told me to leave. He wasn't the Jellal I'd known my whole life. Even though he saved me, it killed me to not be able to save my friends."

"I'm sorry, Erza."

"Natsu was abandoned as a child. A man by the name of Igneel took him in and raised him, then dropped him off on the doorstep of the General's cabin. He's been with us ever since."

"That's terrible."

"We've all experienced loss, Gray. I lost my parents too, and my second family, Jellal, Simon, Milliana, Grandpa Rob. Natsu lost two different families, too. But Macao and Natsu, and everyone back home, they're my family. All of us know loss of some type, and we bonded over that. We're a huge family, and we stick together, we protect each other." Erza's hand reached out and squeezed Gray's. "You're a part of that family now, Gray."

Maybe they were right. Maybe this would be his third chance. His third family, the one he would be able to protect.

He knew one thing that was absolutely certain.

He would protect Erza and Natsu with his life.


End file.
